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According to reports, despite increasing pressure – for example from the federal government and the Innsbruck city party – he does not want to give up his chair without a fight. According to reports, Dornauer could ask the question of trust.
The pressure on the 41-year-old increased considerably. SPÖ federal party leader Andreas Babler said in the afternoon: “Georg Dornauer will know what he has to do.” At a press conference on the sidelines of the explorations, Babler called the criticism of Dornauer “more than understandable.” If Dornauer asks the question of trust, it will become clear whether he still has support in Tyrol. If there were criminal offenses, the matter would be clear anyway. Babler expected a “very clear decision soon”.
“I am convinced that if he looks within himself, he will know what he has to do,” Carinthia’s Governor Peter Kaiser was quoted as saying in the “Kleine Zeitung” (online edition) on Tuesday. The Styrian SPÖ state party chairman Anton Lang took a clearer tone towards ORF Steiermark. He had “no understanding” for Dornauer’s behavior; a certain line had been crossed. “I assume that the consequences here can only be that the Tyrolean SPÖ takes appropriate steps,” said Lang, who is in the state election campaign.
50 officials for resignation
Meanwhile, on Tuesday evening, the Innsbruck SPÖ followed suit. A district committee with around 50 officials unanimously voted for Dornauer to resign from all political functions, as city party leader Benjamin Plach said afterwards. They are also calling for an early state party conference as soon as possible to clarify the leadership question.
Picture gallery: Georg Dornauer: The cross shots of the Tyrolean SPÖ leader
(Photo: EXPA/JOHANN GRODER (APA)) Bild 1/13
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The SPÖ’s internal crisis meetings, especially those of the state parliament club, lasted until the evening. According to insiders, Dornauer is wobbling a lot and could try to gain time with the vote of confidence in the state party council next week. In any case, Tyrol’s top Red didn’t think about giving up until the evening hours. An official positioning of the Tyrolean SPÖ, as requested by Tyrol’s Governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP), was still pending.
“Political suicide”
For the SPÖ expert and political scientist Anton Pelinka, Dornauer is now in a bad position, he told the Ö1 “Mittagsjournal”. The photo with Benko, which gives rise to suspicion that he himself shot the deer, is like “political suicide.” “I don’t think Dornauer can survive this in his current position,” said Pelinka. According to Pelinka, the fact that there have been no declarations of support from the SPÖ so far speaks loudly: “At the moment I don’t see anyone in the Tyrolean SPÖ who would be explicitly in favor of Dornauer staying and would have enough weight to save Dornauer politically.” He saw the “end of Dornauer” “also and above all in his own party.”
Coalition partner shows incomprehension
Coalition partner Mattle expressed anger on Monday. That evening he followed up and published a video on his social media channels, showing an angry lack of understanding of Dornauer’s behavior: “It’s time to stop such inappropriate escapades and nonsense and concentrate on the work for Tyrol,” he told his deputy. In the afternoon, Mattle summoned the Tyrolean SPÖ leader and then described a violation of the weapons ban – which Dornauer does not claim to have violated because it was not he, but a hotelier friend who is said to have shot the deer – as a “red line”. However, according to reports, there are unlikely to be any calls for resignation from the ÖVP.
Things have also been quiet so far in the federal party, which was busy on Monday with talks with ÖVP and NEOS to find a new coalition. A statement can probably only be expected after a decision in Tyrol.
Excitement about helicopter ride
A video published on Instagram by Dornauer’s partner Alessia Ambrosi (Fratelli d’Italia) also caused a stir on Tuesday. In it, the Italian MP and Dornauer can be seen on board a helicopter. In the text, Ambrosi wrote that he was traveling with a hotelier on Lake Garda. The Viennese FPÖ club leader Maximilian Krauss drew attention to the video, who also pointed out a possible incompatibility with invitation rules for public officials. The green Tyrolean club chairman Gebi Mair also identified a renewed need for explanation.
“It’s not my hat”
A photo from a hunting trip in Styria in September on the front page of a daily newspaper had put Dornauer under a lot of pressure. Dornauer protested that he had not fired and that the hat he was wearing, which identified him as the shooter because of the “breach of loot”, was not his. “It’s not my hat,” he said. The hotelier friend confirmed that he had shot himself; the report of the shooting would prove it. The hunting director in the area also testified to this. In the meantime, according to the online edition of the “Tiroler Tageszeitung”, Dornauer also submitted the documents and explanations he requested. The hunting trip took place at the Stüblergut luxury hunt in Styria, which belongs to a private foundation owned by Benko.
The public prosecutor’s office is examining the facts
In any case, the responsible public prosecutor’s office in Graz is examining the facts. A decision on any investigation will probably be made “in the next few days,” it was said on Tuesday
Benko was a hunting friend of the hotelier, which was the only reason why the meeting happened, Dornauer justified the hunting trip with Signa founder Benko, who had gone bankrupt. Dornauer spoke of an “unfortunate episode” and admitted that it had “terrible optics”. However, some party members saw this more drastically, such as the leadership of the Innsbruck SPÖ. Vice mayor Elisabeth Mayr and city party leader Benjamin Plach – both declared supporters of federal party leader Andreas Babler – suggested that Dornauer resign and said: “The limit is full” and Dornauer was causing “damage” to the social democracy. The youth organizations openly called for Dornauer to resign and go into “political retirement.”
Opposition continues to criticize
On Tuesday, too, the Tyrolean opposition did not miss the opportunity to criticize again. FPÖ state party chairman Markus Abwerzger particularly took Mattle to task, accusing him of “weak decision-making”. “Again he is not showing a clear edge,” and now there is a threat of a “government crisis.” List Fritz club chairman Markus Sint, however, suggested that Dornauer had illegally accepted a gift through the hunting trip. It needs to be clarified who paid for it. However, according to reports, there is unlikely to be a motion of no confidence against Dornauer at this week’s state parliament session for the time being.
In 2019, a weapons ban was imposed on Dornauer after he left his hunting rifle with an attached magazine in the car at Innsbruck Airport with the window open. Security employees finally discovered the weapon belonging to the then opposition politician Dornauer. The district administration issued an indefinite weapons ban, which was subsequently confirmed by the state administrative court. This also involved the loss of the Tyrolean hunting card and the confiscation of his weapon. Only recently did Dornauer announce that he wanted to apply for an annulment.
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To appeal the decision in court, seeking to have the weapons ban lifted.
The ongoing turmoil surrounding Dornauer has raised questions about the stability of his leadership and the SPÖ party in Tyrol. As public and political scrutiny intensifies, it remains to be seen how he will navigate the challenges posed by both coalition partners and opposition factions. With key party figures speaking out against him and calls for resignation growing louder, his position appears increasingly precarious. The internal dynamics of the SPÖ and the response from the federal party will be crucial in determining his political fate in the coming days.
Additionally, the ongoing investigation by the public prosecutor’s office adds another layer of complexity to the situation, as any potential legal ramifications could further impact Dornauer’s ability to lead. The implicit pressure from both allies and adversaries underscores the precarious balance of power within the regional political landscape, and all eyes will be on the upcoming state party council meeting as a pivotal moment for both Dornauer and the SPÖ in Tyrol.
